OBITUARY–In Memory of H. B. Montgomery
Well-known Carleton Place Auctioneer Henry Burnett Montgomery died in Carleton Place and District Memorial Hospital last Thursday March 9, 1989 following a short battle with cancer. He was 86. HB, as he was affectionately known throughout the Ottawa Valley, had a career which spanned 40 years in the auction sale business and despite his illness of recent months he was involved in an auction sale as recently as late August of this year.
A former farmer and butcher he handled as many as three or four auctions a week for years and over the past 26 years teamed with another well respected local auctioneer, Howard McNeely. “I always said the auction sale was part of Burnett and he was part of the auction,” McNeely said Monday in reminiscing about his many years of working with Montgomery. “He was a good fellow to work with, a perfect gentleman with a great respect for everyone,” McNeely fondly recalled. “He worked hard for the person he was doing the sale for, but he was also fair with the person buying the item,” he noted. “In all the years together we never had a (bad) word,” McNeely stated. “We worked a system and he often said to me ‘Howard there aren’t two men in a million who get along as we do,’ and I’d tell him that it was because neither of us was power hungry and we worked for the betterment of all concerned.”
Despite his age Montgomery couldn’t completely quit the auction business. “He’d tell me many times he was going to quit, but he never really did,” McNeely mentioned. In a feature story with appeared in The Canadian in June of 1982 Montgomery said he began auctioneering to help “make ends meet”. At that time he was operating a general store in Ashton.
He was born in Goulbourn Township and later lived in Ashton where he operated the store and a farm. He moved to Carleton Place in the early 1940s where he eventually got into the auction business. Montgomery is survived by his wife Helen and daughters Shirley (Mrs. Don Lashley) and Iola (Mrs. Bob Blackburn) both of Smiths Falls as well as a sister Jean (Mrs. Ted Andison) of Jasper, Ontario, Also by six grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. Funeral service was held Sunday at 2:30pm at Zion-Memorial United Church in Carleton Place with Rev Wesley Mitchell officiating, Interments was in the United Cemeteries.
Sherri Iona added the following —This was my Poppa. I always wonder why his first wife, my Nana is never mentioned. Laura (Bradley) Montgomery was a teacher a Munster in one room school. They met when Poppa was working in the quarry – where Dogwood Drive now is. He was a couple years younger. Nana who was very active with The United Church died from a long battle with breast cancer in the 1974 at age of 79.
Poppa was actually born in Marlborough township south of Richmond, in the family homestead. He survived the depression, by buying and selling livestock, my paternal grandparents included. He was also the first person in town to have a skidoo and the first person to buy a Pellikan, the precursor to the seadoo.
H.B Burnett, Poppa, with his grandchildren and spouses (at the time). This would be early eighties as my oldest was born in 80, and was 3 when Poppa died.
Related Reading:
In Memory of H B Montgomery
The sad tale of HB’s brother Everett
Sherri IonaThe Tales of Carleton Place
Recent articles about old murals and paintings on the walls in CP had me thinking about this painting. While not painted on the wall, it hung on the wall above the fireplace in my grandfather, HB Montgomery’s den. It mesmerized me as a child. It needs cleaning but I had a lady from Pakenham, a consultant with the antiques roadshow look at it. She said it was a great example of folk art from late 1800s. Now as you know Poppa was an auctioner so I have no idea where he got this. There are painter initials MDT. The American flag has always had me curious. I thought maybe it was Thousand Islands as a child but the evaluator thought the mountains and scenery may be where Washington had his estate.
Ideas anyone?
Linda, this is the den where it hung in. You can see the bottom part.
Related reading
What Happened to the Riddell/ Montgomery Doors? FOUR years later… Sherri Iona (Lashley)
What Happened to the Riddell/ Montgomery Doors? Three years later… Sherri Iona (Lashley)
Riddell— H B Montgomery House History For Sale
Buttons and Quilts by Sherri Iona (Lashley)
The Mysterious Riddell— H B Montgomery House
In Memory of H B Montgomery
Glory Days in Carleton Place-Sherri Iona (Lashley)
Sherri IonaThe Tales of Carleton Place
The Ashton General Store— 2016
Dear friends and valued customers,
It is with great regret that we must inform you that, despite our best efforts to the contrary, the owner of the building in which our business, The Ashton General Store, is located has decided that we will have to close our doors for good on April 22nd, 2016. Somehow, the owner, the Estate of our dearly departed friend, Bill Patterson, has concluded that the value of an empty building is greater than a building containing our viable and vibrant business serving the community.
It is hard for us to express the sorrow we feel knowing that we will no longer have the privilege of greeting you in the mornings and wishing you the best day ever, or helping you deliver an important parcel for your grand-daughters’ birthday or, just chatting with a friend.
When we first bought the business in 2011, we had a vision that it should be a community space; a place where we could all gather and feel comfortable enjoying each other’s company. We and our family all regret the loss to our community more than any economic hardship we ourselves may suffer. Our thoughts are with you.
You will always be our Ashton family. We love you all!
Sincerely, Jean and Sylvie Pignal
Sherri IonaThe Tales of Carleton Place
This is from a calendar when my grandfather HB or Burnett Montgomery owned and ran the Ashton General store with his wife Laura (Bradley) in the late 1920s. They lived above the store and my mom (Shirley Lashley) and Aunt Iona (who died at 2 weeks) were both born there. Aunt Iola was born in Munster, I think. They are all buried at United Cemeteries.
lindaseccaspina 